T20 Women’s County Cup 2025: Draw revealed for inaugural tournament as part of new women’s cricket structure

The draw for the inaugural Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup has been revealed, as part of the new domestic structure for women’s cricket in 2025.

The ECB announced a new three-tier system that will run from 2025-2028 back in April, with Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Somerset, Surrey and Warwickshire awarded Tier 1 status.

Thirty-seven teams from across the three tiers of the new structure will compete in the knockout T20 Women’s County Cup, with Tier 1 teams entering at the third-round stage.

Two all Tier 1 ties drawn in that round means the competition will be guaranteed at least two teams from Tiers 2 or 3 in the quarter-finals, offering them the chance of pulling off a giant-killing against the fully-professional Tier 1 teams in the hope of booking their place at Finals Day.

The semi-finals and final will be played as a three-match Finals Day on Monday May 26 in Taunton, with the two semi-finals preceding the final at The Cooper Associates County Ground.

The fixtures for the Vitality Blast men’s competition, Vitality Blast women’s competition and Vitality Blast Women’s League 2 will be unveiled on Thursday November 21.

Round One

Ties to be played Monday May 5

Lincolnshire vs Cheshire

Staffordshire vs Cumbria

Northumberland – BYE

Yorkshire vs Derbyshire Falcons

Leicestershire Foxes – BYE

Shropshire vs Norfolk

Cambridgeshire vs Herefordshire

Northamptonshire Steelbacks vs Worcestershire Rapids

Sussex Sharks vs Buckinghamshire

Suffolk – BYE

Hertfordshire vs Bedfordshire & Huntingdonshire

Middlesex vs Kent

Cornwall vs Berkshire

Wiltshire vs Oxfordshire

Dorset vs Devon

Glamorgan vs Gloucestershire

Round Two

Ties to play Saturday May 10

Match 17: Yorkshire or Derbyshire Falcons vs Staffordshire or Cumbria

Match 18: Leicestershire Foxes vs Lincolnshire or Cheshire

Match 19: Shropshire or Norfolk vs Northamptonshire Steelbacks or Worcestershire Rapids

Match 20: Northumberland vs Cambridgeshire or Herefordshire

Match 21: Glamorgan or Gloucestershire vs Sussex Sharks or Buckinghamshire

Match 22: Cornwall or Berkshire vs Middlesex or Kent

Match 23: Wiltshire or Oxfordshire vs Hertfordshire or Bedfordshire & Huntingdonshire

Match 24: Devon or Dorset vs Suffolk

Round Three

Ties to be played Saturday May 17

Match 25: Surrey vs Hampshire Hawks

Match 26: Winner of Match 24 vs Bears

Match 27: Winner of Match 19 vs Winner of Match 18

Match 28: Winner of Match 21 vs Lancashire Thunder

Match 29: Winner of Match 17 vs Essex

Match 30: Winner of Match 23 vs The Blaze

Match 31: Winner of Match 20 vs Winner of Match 22

Match 32: Somerset vs Durham

Quarter-finals

Ties to be played Saturday May 24

Match 33: Winner of Match 25 vs Winner of Match 32

Match 34: Winner of Match 31 vs Winner of Match 30

Match 35: Winner of Match 27 vs Winner of Match 28

Match 36: Winner of Match 29 vs Winner of Match 26

Finals Day

Monday May 26 – The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton

Semi-final 1: Winner of Match 35 vs Winner of Match 34

Semi-final 2: Winner of Match 36 vs Winner of Match 33

Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup Final: Winner of Semi-final 1 vs Winner of semi-final 2